Indonesia Imposes 14-day Lockdown Amid New COVID-19 Variant Fear

The Indonesian government will ban entry by visitors from all countries from January 1-14 to prevent the spread of a new, more transmissible strain of coronavirus first reported by the UK, the foreign minister said on Monday.

The move, decided in a cabinet meeting led by President Joko Widodo, overrides an earlier policy on stricter regulations for international arrivals.

“There have been reports about a new strain of Covid-19 that according to scientific studies is capable of spreading more rapidly,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a statement.

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The government is not taking any chance in response to the reports.

“I repeat, we will close [our] doors to foreign citizens from any country from January 1 to January 14,” she said.

However, delegations on official visits especially at the ministerial level or above are exempt from the new rule, she said.

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International arrivals until December 31 must produce a negative coronavirus test from the country of origin taken within 48 hours until the departure date, according to the statement.

Upon arrival, foreigners must self-quarantine for five days at government-appointed hotels and take another polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test here before being allowed to travel in Indonesia.

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SOURCE
Author: Aditya L. Djono
Publication: Jakarta Globe
Title: Indonesia Imposes 14-day Lockdown Amid New COVID-19 Variant Fear

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